NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Finds Abundance of Carbon Molecules Around Young Star

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered a wealth of carbon molecules swirling around a young star.

According to NASA, a recent study's findings, obtained through Webb's advanced capabilities, represent the most extensive array of carbon-containing molecules observed thus far in the vicinity of such a stellar nursery.

The implications of this discovery extend to the potential composition of any celestial bodies forming near this budding star.

NASA on the Mysterious Nature of Low-Mass Stars

The focus on low-mass stars stems from their propensity to give birth rocky planets, which are more prevalent than gas giants and are often found orbiting the most abundant stellar types in our galaxy.

However, the chemical makeup of these worlds remains shrouded in mystery, raising questions about their similarities or differences compared to Earth. Hence, astronomers sought insights into the planet formation process and the elements of the resulting planets.

NASA noted that studying planet-forming disks around low-mass stars poses unique challenges due to their smaller size and dimmer luminosity compared to disks surrounding larger, more massive stars.

The MIRI Mid-Infrared Disk Survey (MINDS) program, leveraging Webb's unparalleled capabilities, endeavors to bridge the knowledge gap between the chemical composition of disks and the characteristics of exoplanets.

Aditya Arabhavi, the study's lead author from the University of Groningen, emphasized Webb's superiority in sensitivity and spectral resolution over previous infrared space telescopes, highlighting the impossibility of such observations from Earth due to atmospheric interference.

In their latest investigation, the team delved into the environment of a small star ISO-ChaI 147- a youthful star approximately 1 to 2 million years old, boasting a mere 0.11 solar masses.

Webb's MIRI unveiled a spectrum teeming with hydrocarbon chemistry, featuring an assemblage of 13 distinct carbon-bearing molecules. Notable among these detections are ethane (C2H6), ethylene (C2H4), propyne (C3H4), and the methyl radical CH3, alongside the first identification of ethane beyond our solar system.

According to NASA, the carbon-rich gas observed in the disk suggests a scarcity of carbon in the solid materials that coalesce into planets, implying that these nascent worlds may ultimately exhibit a deficit of carbon.

'Unique Class of Objects'

The team also marveled at Webb's ability to detect and quantify familiar Earth-bound molecules, such as benzene, in an object situated over 600 light-years away from Earth.

Looking ahead, the science team aims to broaden their investigation to encompass a broader array of disks encircling low-mass stars to understand the prevalence and uniqueness of carbon-rich terrestrial planet-forming regions. Further spectroscopic analysis is also deemed imperative to unravel the unidentified features observed in the Webb data.

"This is profoundly different from the composition we see in disks around solar-type stars, where oxygen bearing molecules like water and carbon dioxide dominate," said team member Inga Kamp, also of the University of Groningen. "This object establishes that these are a unique class of objects."